Barbecue chronicles from a land up-over

Archive for September, 2010

Taste Test: The bbq style (left) was a lot easier, but not quite as good as the Asian style Hum Bao.

As a fan of “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Masters,” I always get a chuckle when the contestants cook something multiple ways. Hi Padma. I made Monkfish three ways.

Just once I’d like Padma to reply with: Oh DID you? Well then you’re an idiot.

Is winning on “Top Chef” so easy that, what the heck, you might as well triple your work? Those two ways/three ways chefs always get eliminated about halfway through the season.

I on the other hand had an excuse. I had about 9 pounds of leftover pork butt and for some time I’ve wanted to try making a traditional barbecue pork Hum Bao. I had all the ingredients ready to go, when this bottle of Show-Me BBQ sauce started talking to me in secret barbeque language. Since when have I let you down, the Show-Me asked. Hmmm… fair point.

So after consulting with my friend (Dave Chilimaker), I decided, to heck with it, I’ll just make both. I’ll make traditional style pork Hum Bao AND a Blue State BBQ original, Show-me style Hum Bao.

Both were great. Really, really great. But if I had to pick, I’d say the traditional Hum Bao was better, but a whole lot more work. So if you have the time, go Asian style. If you’re in a hurry, the BBQ style was plenty delicious.

Ok, I gave Roy’s another shot. I’m going to cook a pork butt tonight, so I figured, might as well have a pulled pork sandwich to get in the mood.

You may recall in my review a few weeks back, I found Roy’s pulled pork mushy and unpleasant to eat, in spite of all the great reviews. So, I pledged to give it another try.

Upon further review: I found Roy’s pulled pork mushy and unpleasant to eat, in spite of all the great reviews.

I can only guess what reviewers are liking about Roy’s is the great atmosphere and the tangy mustard-based sauce on their signature sandwich. But the bbq itself is like pork flavored mashed potatoes. Sorry Roy’s; I won’t be back.

I haven’t grilled anything in DAYS! It’s killing me. But not to worry, I have two treats lined up, so stay tuned.

First, I’m going to try a honey ginger duck. The duck is in my house, so it just needs to get cooked. And second, I’m going to cook a pork butt, yum. But, the real experiment is day two – I’m going to make BBQ pork Hum Bao.

So, apologies for the long stretch of nothing. But with the NFL season starting soon, the silence can’t and won’t continue!